Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC Sells 1,962 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC lowered its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 31,035 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,962 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises 1.1% of Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $8,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.92.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 41.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 30.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 4.0 %

NYSE LOW opened at $275.33 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $269.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $245.19. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $196.32 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The company has a market capitalization of $156.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.67%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.37%.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.